The Edible Market Food Festival is coming!

Please forgive me but I'm about to give a shameless plug! (You probably already saw the advert in the sidebar).
I want to tell you about a brand new food festival that you must add to your events to visit this year.

The Edible Market Food Festival will be held on 12th October at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton, Bedfordshire. www.ediblemarket.co.uk

So why is it a shameless plug? Erm, it's something I am involved in when I'm wearing my The Artisan Food Trail hat. Yes Mum, if you're reading, you and Dad are coming, I mean invited! ;-)

The festival website went live just last week and already it has sparked a lot of interest – I'm very excited as well as a teensy bit apprehensive but I am working with the best of people to make sure all goes to plan.

There's going to be some great food to buy and eat, all of the highest quality – no mass-produced nonsense – it's all pretty special and not run-of-the-mill high street fayre.

If you want to know more, take a look at this article on The Artisan Food Trail blog.

Thanks for reading this little advert and I hope you can make it along!

The Chocolate Festival, London 2011

Recently I was invited to a press launch of The Chocolate Festival, where I was treated to some talks and tastings to promoted the event which started in Oxford last weekend. Next stop is London when the South Bank plays host to three days of chocolate pleasure. From the 8 – 10 April, the area around The Royal Festival Hall will be lined with stalls filled with some of the finest chocolate and chocolate related products to try and buy.

For true devotees of this glorious substance there will also be live demonstrations and tutored tastings from some of the best Chocolatiers; from William Curley and Bill McCarrick to Damian Allsop and Paul Wayne Gregory.

This a very appropriate time of year for the festival as Easter is only a couple of weeks away, when most people are thinking about chocolate. The Chocolate Festival is the place to visit if you're looking for that special gift or are even thinking of treating yourself.

For more information about the event visit www.festivalchocolate.co.uk

The Big Chocolate Tea Party

On the Sunday 10th the event will be hosting The Big Chocolate Tea Party in support of The Sick Children's Trust. They will be joined by Channel 5 Milkshake! Presenters Derek Moran and Jen Pringle and celebrity cupcake maker, Lily Vanilli, is hosting a free children's chocolate workshop and there will be goodies galore.

Click here to find out more about the charity event


Photo from The Chocolate Festival website

Letchworth Food Festival 2010 in Pictures

The weather was brilliant, the turnout outstanding and the food excellent.
A picture paints a thousand words...



Photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Letchworth Food Festival 2010: Hurrah!

I’ve been thinking for a while now that it would be good to have some kind of food festival in my town. There have been a some fleeting visits from continental markets over the years and of course our monthly farmers' market, but nothing that truly celebrates the wealth of local produce out there.

Now I’m very excited to hear that Letchworth, the world's first Garden City (I’m quite proud of that!) will be hosting a foodie festival over the weekend of 22 and 23 May.
I’m looking forward to the variety of produce to taste and buy, including bread, meat, fish, jams, fruit juices, muffins and honey and everything in between. No doubt there will be regulars from the farmers' market, but as well as the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire contingent, producers will also be coming from as far afield as Norfolk and Suffolk.
Scanning down the traders expected so far, I see that Norfolk’s Samphire Shop and Brays Cottage who sell the most sublime pork pies. They’d better have plenty as I have plans to stock up my freezer!

There will also be food to eat on the go, including soups, stews, hot and cold salads, goat curry (or should that be curry goat?), paella, chocolate, handmade fruit cream ices and other mouth-watering goodies. Probably best to arrive hungry, I think.

And if that wasn’t enough, in true food festival style there will be cookery demonstrations too, including some famous faces to draw in the crowds.
Michelin Star Chef Phil Thompson, now executive chef of Brocket Hall’s flagship restaurant Auberge du Lac and TV Chef Paul Bloxham (he’s been on Market Kitchen, recently), who runs his award-winning pub, ‘The Tilbury’ in Datchworth, near Stevenage.
The Country Bumpkin, local food forager; cookery author Sally Bee and Xanthe Milton, aka Cookie Girl will also be there amongst local favourites.

Sounds like it’ll be a great weekend to grab an opportunity to have a chat with the stall holders and sample their wares and what’s more, the admission is free!

Letchworth Food Festival is open 10am to 4pm on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 May 2010, located in and around Leys Square and Leys Avenue in the heart of the Garden City.


For further information on the festival visit www.letchworthfoodfestival.co.uk as there are constant updates with new traders added and chefs.

See you there!

Refreshment Down to a Tea: Leaf

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.  ~JAPANESE PROVERB

I’m British and I don’t like tea. I should, us Brits are well known in the western world for our tea drinking habits. But I still don’t like it.

Last year, I would have upheld my strong opinion and practiced being anti-tea, but now I’m converted!

After years of being subjected to inferior cuppas, and trying to develop a taste for the stewed orangey-brown, bitter, tannin laden liquid, invariably on the overly milky side, I have finally had an epiphany on the tea front.

Whilst at The Real Food Festival, back in April, I was offered a tasting of some tea from Leaf. Memories of tongue curling, face cringing tastes came flooding back, and I almost refused.
My husband accepted the sample on offer (he’s not usually a tea drinker either) so I couldn’t really turn it down.
I took a sip and my taste buds beheld a refreshing and fragrant flavour that was smooth and an absolute joy to drink. We tried various other types and flavours, and that was it – we were hooked!

We bought a selection of taster tins enabling us to sample the delights of all their varieties – nice packaging too.
There are two sets – one of traditional tea and the other of herbal (no caffeine) infusions.

This new practice of tea drinking has meant purchasing a suitable teapot. My husband found a nice glass one from Bodum, with an integral, yet removable infuser compartment.
This is perfect, as you can see the water taking on the colour and the leaves unfurling. When the tea has finished infusing (and I am following the instructions on the labels to the letter) you can lift out the infuser to prevent any stewing from taking place and spoiling the taste of the tea.
We always use filtered water too, as suggested by the producers. It’s important for the water to be pure to make good tea.

Leaf teas are proving to be quite addictive (in a good way) in our household, that we now look forward to trying yet another flavour.
When all the little tins have given up their contents, I’m going to have to buy some more – and quick!
The teas seem expensive at first glance but when you work out how much they are per cup (probably fifty pence, at the most) it puts everything into perspective.
I can justify the cost, because the quality far surpasses any ordinary supermarket tea and the farmers/pickers get a decent living too… and what’s more – I love it!

For more information about Leaf tea, visit www.leafshop.co.uk

To read about The Real Food Festival click here


Lead product image from leaf website

Flavour Immersion: Adesso Marinades

Olive oil is known for its health giving benefits, so why not choose the best for a tasty marinade? Addesso certainly haven't skimped on quality here, the oil is of high calibre and the added flavours have been thoughtfully put together to create a range of delicious marinades in which to bathe a variety of foods.

Presently, there are four to choose from: Portuguese Inspired Hot – with muscovado sugar and chillies for something which is spicy and sweet; Lemon and Herb – it's zinginess and freshness bursting from real lemon peel, oregano, mint and basil; Chermoulla of Morocco – warm and musky from the cumin and coriander and added heat from some cayenne pepper.

Finally, Orange and Honey. 

I have already broken the seal on this one and used it to flavour some cod which I seared in a pan until everything took on an agreeable caramelisation. 

It works surprisingly well with the fish. The orange is not overpoweringly orangey, but it gives that nice background zing. The herbs took the form of rosemary and thyme, which, I think, complement fish very well.

I served this with fennel bulb, sliced and slow-cooked, confit-style, in olive oil with added fennel seeds. Cooked Jersey new potatoes, tossed in some butter with chopped parsley and capers completed the dish.

I'm looking forward to opening the rest and experimenting with other meats and vegetables, and maybe putting them on the barbeque. The Chermoulla variety is begging to be poured over some lamb and I can imagine chicken with the others…or maybe prawns.

For more information visit www.adessofoods.co.uk

Click here to read about The Real Food Festival

Real Food Festival Find: Azorieblue Coffee

'Imagine a coffee that’s smoother than a tiger in a tuxedo and more luxurious than a cashmere codpiece…'

The producers of Azorieblue Coffee make this seemingly crazy claim, but it's a good, if not creative description of their 100% Brazilian Arabica beans.

I have tasted it as a short strong espresso and as a longer filter version, with milk and can say that it's smooth, rich and chocolatey with a pleasing citrus acidity. The fact that it works both ways makes it a versatile roast not often found in many other coffees.

The beans come from world-renowned estates, all with BSCA accreditation. 

Not only does that mean it guarantees the quality of the beans, but it also assures us that it's ethical, so the estate workers get decent pay and working conditions.

The beans arrive in the UK and are then roasted to achieve a unique and special taste, which I could happily drink all day.

For more information about the coffee visit: azorieblue.com

Click here to read about The Real Food Festival


Product photo taken from Azorie Blue website

Real Food Festival

A good few days have passed, and I'm still reeling from the experience.
Described by its promoters as being Britain's biggest producer's market all under one roof, the Real Food Festival at Earls Court proved to be a very good show.

Making sure we arrive early – before the doors open, in fact – we manage to get round fairly easily before the major crowds begin to swell.

On entering, we are greeted by two adorable little pigs in a pen, which are there to remind us that 'pigs are worth it' and we should support our British pig farmer.
Supporting your 'local' producer is very much the theme of this show. It's not just about eating amazing food, but it dutifully urges us to appreciate the small people out there, who have a lot of pride and care in what they do.
This is certainly evident, as everyone we meet and speak to, are enthusiastic and passionate about their produce.

Sampling is definitely the order of the day and it's getting difficult to refuse all those little morsels. We are being offered everything from cheese to chocolate, bread to sausage, pickles… chutneys… jam… coffee and tea… beer… wine… spirits… It's all very good, but our palates start to feel a little tired, and there's only so much you can nibble on before you start to feel queasy!

Plus, it makes us feel guilty, when there is no way we can buy everything, but as many of the producers have online shops it is worth taking note for a later date.

We sit to digest and deliberate over coffee, as to what will be best to buy and go on a tour again to make our purchases. These I will go into in more detail, in later posts, when we've tested them more thoroughly.
After five enjoyable hours, we go home with bags stuffed full of goodies waiting to be tried and leaflets to be read.

Just one thing – what was with all that sawdust on the floor? Yes, it played the part of rustic shops and markets very well, but made our shoes exceedingly dusty. Not a good look on the train on the way home!